Rabai leaders have called for the speedy and thorough investigations into the killing of elderly persons in Kilifi county.
The leaders blamed the subcounty security team for failing to bring the killers to book.
Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi said 16 elderly persons were killed in one month. He spoke in Mwawesa on Saturday.
The latest killing is that of Kalama Jimbi, an 80-year-old Rabai elder, who was murdered on September 10, a day after leading prayers for the ‘chenda chenda’ festivals in Kilifi .
“The community and families are tired of losing their relatives and no action seems to be taken. It is now time for the security team to up their game,” Saburi said.
He said elderly persons with grey hair are targeted for murder.
“An elderly person will rejoice in the Lord if he sleeps at night and wakes up in the morning while he is safe. Having grey hair has become a serious crime in our community but what our youth don’t understand is that these are the different stages in human life. It will reach a time when they will also have grey hair,” Saburi said.
He asked Nyumba Kumi leaders to look out for any strangers hired to kill.
“They should inform the government when the visitors have come and also when they leave,” he said.
He raised concern that the elders who are involved in issues of the Mijikenda culture are also targeted.
Former Rabai/Kisurutini MCA Kenga Mupe threatened to dump the body of any elder killed a the deputy county commissioners' office.
Rabai deputy county commissioner Jamal Mahmud said the killings worry the security team.
“None of the security officers is happy with the killings. Every day we sleep while worried of what will happen the next day. We should
work together as leaders to stop the killings and avoid blaming each other,” he said.
Kilifi county police commander Fredrick Ochien’g said 84 elderly persons aged above 60 years were killed between January 2017 and June 2018.